Hearing Problems

Hearing problems can significantly and adversely
affect a person’s quality of life, making
it difficult to understand a doctor’s advice, hear
alarms, and communicate with friends and family
members. In 2007, 85.1 percent of adults reported
excellent or good hearing without the use of
an aid, while 14.7 percent reported at least some
trouble hearing and 0.2 percent were deaf (data
not shown). Women were less likely than men to
have reported trouble hearing overall (11.9 versus
17.7 percent, respectively), and in every age
group. For instance, among adults aged 75 years
and older, 37.6 percent of women had trouble
hearing compared to 53.1 percent of men.

The percentage of adults who reported trouble
hearing increased with age for both men and
women. Among women, 5.0 percent of 18- to
44-year-olds reported trouble hearing without
the use of an aid, compared to 12.4 percent of
those aged 45–64 years and 24.7 percent of those
aged 65–74.

The use of hearing aids also increases with
age. Among women, 13.8 percent of those aged
75 and older reported using a hearing aid, while
only 3.8 percent of 65- to 74-year-olds and fewer
than 1 percent of those aged 45–64 years did so.

Tinnitus is the term used for a persistent ringing,
buzzing, or roaring sound in the ears or
head. In 2007, 8.8 percent of women reported
symptoms congruent with tinnitus. This varied,
however, by race and ethnicity. Non-Hispanic
White women were more likely than non-Hispanic
Black and Hispanic women to have tinnitus
(9.6 versus 7.6 and 6.6 percent, respectively).
Non-Hispanic Asian women were least likely to
have reported experiencing tinnitus (4.1 percent;
data not shown).

Information on this page can be found in the print version of Women's Health USA 2009. Suggested Citation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Women's Health USA 2009. Rockville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009.